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The Scooter Phenomenon

For any expat who has lived in Asia, discussions about insane scooter happenings is like Americans discussing the phenomenon of fast food. The novelty wore off a long time ago. Seeing entire families packed onto a scooter not much bigger than a bicycle is one of the first curveballs thrown at you upon arrival in Asia and the parade of circus acts being performed on them occurs every day. Thus, the novelty wares off after a year and eventually the sight of a family of four, plus a dog, a weeks worth of groceries and a small tree magically perched upon said tiny moving object becomes a regular part of life.

However, what kind of Asia expat travel blogger would I be without bringing it up? There is one story that comes to mind. We were living in Tainan, Taiwan. First year of life abroad. The scooter phenomenon was still a phenomenon. Then, we saw the equivalent of a Taiwanese Triple Rainbow. Man. Scooter, Baby in a 7 Eleven bag. This one was really a special sight as it was an Asian Phenomenon on steroids. 7 Elevens are everywhere here. I think Taiwan has like 1.5 of them for each citizen. So, to see a 7 Eleven bag being used as a car seat hanging from the little hook under the handle bars was something I’ll surely never forget. I wish I had a photo, but this was before iPhones and my camera wasn’t with me at the time. You’ll just have to take my word for it.